wine

Raise A Glass To Autumn

8th November 2016Georgie Kukielka

The day is Thursday and the month is November. The place is Bel & The Dragon. The occasion is special and a handful of wine-loving friends are joining you. Your waitress passes you our comprehensive Cellar List. You order a bottle of 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 1er Cru`Morgeot`and one of your friends says ‘Oh, I prefer the 2009 Les Fiefs de Lagrange. Do you have any?’ Another adds ‘Can we try the 2010 Château Talbot Connétable?’

Natural wine at Albury Vineyard

15th August 2016Georgie Kukielka

There is no doubt about it, English sparkling wine’s premium status is well earned. In fact, it won 80 medals & trophies in this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. So do not be surprised if you hear talk, on the grapevine that is, of a new viticultural phenomenon. I am, of course, referring to natural wine.

September Supper Club

8th August 2016Georgie Kukielka

Our first Supper Club of the autumn season on Tuesday 6th September will delve into the world of Italian wine. With 20 different regions, hundreds of DOC designations and even more native varieties, it is no surprise that Italy is the world’s largest wine producer. That said, the majority of the harvest remains in its country of origin. After all, wine is food to the local folk and it is rare that a meal is consumed without a glass or two. Yes, Italian wine is a foodie wine that complements a myriad of dishes.

Supper with Olivier Leflaive

7th June 2016Georgie Kukielka

Olivier Leflaive is indeed the king of Puligny-Montrachet and our relationship began with him many years ago. As one of Burgundy’s most respected wine producers, Olivier is renowned for offering wines of exceptional quality, consistency and style. We are immensely proud to be working alongside him in producing our very own Bel & The Dragon white and red Burgundies and are delighted to showcase both at our July Supper Club.

Raise a glass to spring

23rd May 2016Georgie Kukielka

Heavy wines to the back of the cellar, spring is here. Time to bring forth the light, crisp varieties that go hand in hand with the warmer weather. We are not suggesting you need to drink your way through the new season, but we do recommend you try a selection of our favourites. After all, our spring-cleaned cellar is sure to have something to whet your appetite…

Supper with Léoube

13th April 2016Georgie Kukielka

“Produce the best from what the land can give you with great affection and care.”

This is the formula that organic artisan producers & owners of Domaine de Léoube – one of the most protected sites in Europe and home to Château Léoube – adhere to. The Léoube estate, which benefits from the superb Mediterranean climate includes 65 hectares of vineyards with a wide variety of soils & natural assets. Little intervention is required and their thriving vines are a testimony to this approach.

Supper with Laurent-Perrier

16th March 2016Sunny Rutherford

“Champagne is more than a sparkling wine. It is a place and can be a very special place at that.”

We share these sentiments of wine expert Danny Borchert of Laurent-Perrier. At Bel & The Dragon we believe that an occasion for champagne should be an occasion to remember and cherish. There are many champagne houses from which to choose however Laurent-Perrier or LP, as we affectionately call them, tick every box. They are one of the world’s leading champagne brands and continue to produce a unique range of pioneering champagnes from the finest growths. We were delighted to welcome Danny to host yesterday’s Supper Club at Bel & The Dragon Churt and I caught up with him to see how it went.

Banging The Gavel

8th March 2016Hector Ross

Yesterday evening, Bel & The Dragon auctioned a mouth-watering selection of Bordeaux, Burgundies and a whole host of other wonderful wines from all over the world. Over fifty guests, including a number of wine experts & journalists, congregated in our converted 18 Century church, located in the picturesque town of Godalming.

Supper with Labet

10th February 2016Georgie Kukielka

“Life is too short to drink second rate wine. Quality is everything.”

We share these sentiments of wine expert Stuart Porter of Corney & Barrow. Bel & The Dragon has worked closely with Stuart & his team for many years, sourcing the finest wines and we were delighted to welcome him and Burgundy’s much-respected wine producer, François Labet, to host our first Supper Club of the New Year. I caught up with Stuart to see how it went.